As the sun dips below the horizon, the most productive hunting windows often begin. Whether you’re pursuing predators under the cloak of dusk or waiting for a trophy whitetail in the pre-dawn stillness, standard optics fall short. A dedicated low light scope is the ultimate equalizer, turning challenging conditions into your greatest advantage and extending your effective hunting time significantly.
Modern technology offers two primary paths for low-light performance: digital night vision and thermal imaging. Digital night vision amplifies available light, while thermal detects the heat signatures of animals, making them visible even in complete darkness or through light foliage. Choosing the right tool depends on your environment, target game, and hunting style, but the goal remains the same: see clearly when others can’t.
Our Top Picks for Low Light and Night Hunting Scopes
- ATN Thor 4 Thermal Rifle Scope
- Bushnell Equinox Z2 Night Vision Monocular
- ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope
- Sightmark Wraith 4K Mini Digital Night Vision Riflescope
- Pulsar Digex C50 Digital Night Vision Riflescope
- Sightmark Wraith 4K Digital Night Vision Riflescope
- AGM Global Vision Rattler TS25-256 Thermal Riflescope
- PARD NV008P LRF Digital Night Vision Riflescope
ATN Thor 4 Thermal Rifle Scope
The ATN Thor 4 represents the high-end of thermal hunting technology. Its ultra-sensitive next-gen sensor detects subtle heat signatures at impressive ranges, giving you a distinct advantage in total darkness, fog, or light cover. The 60Hz refresh rate ensures a smooth, lag-free image even when tracking moving game, which is critical for making an accurate shot.
This scope is packed with smart features that enhance its functionality. The built-in ballistics calculator takes the guesswork out of long-range shots, while the ability to record Full HD video and stream via Wi-Fi to your smartphone allows you to document your hunts. With an 18-hour plus battery life and multiple color palettes like Black Hot and White Hot, you can adapt to any environment for extended periods.
Bushnell Equinox Z2 Night Vision Monocular
For the hunter who needs a versatile observation tool, the Bushnell Equinox Z2 is an excellent choice. While it’s a monocular, its powerful built-in infrared illuminator allows for clear viewing up to 900 feet in total darkness. The 4.5x magnification and 40mm objective lens provide a crisp, illuminated image with reduced glare, making it perfect for scouting and identifying targets from a stand or blind.
Beyond its core function, the Equinox Z2 excels at documentation. You can capture and stream HD images and video directly through the device. The integrated Wi-Fi and dedicated app make it simple to share your findings or stream the feed to a phone or tablet, allowing for a shared viewing experience or for keeping a record of game activity in your hunting area.
ATN X-Sight 4K Pro Smart Day/Night Rifle Scope
The ATN X-Sight 4K Pro is a versatile digital day/night scope that performs brilliantly from dawn until dusk and into the night. It offers a sharp 4K sensor for exceptional clarity during daylight hours and seamlessly transitions to a powerful night vision scope when the light fades. This dual-purpose capability means you only need one scope on your rifle for all lighting conditions.
Smart features are at the core of the X-Sight 4K Pro’s design. It includes a built-in ballistics calculator, one-shot zero, and recoil-activated video recording. The Smart Range Finder automatically calculates the holdover for your shot, while the smooth zoom and multiple reticle options provide maximum flexibility in the field. Its long battery life ensures it won’t let you down during a critical moment.
Sightmark Wraith 4K Mini Digital Night Vision Riflescope
The Sightmark Wraith 4K Mini offers a compact and powerful solution for hunters who prefer a smaller, lighter optic without sacrificing performance. It features a high-resolution 4K sensor that delivers a clear and detailed image in both day and low-light conditions. The mini design reduces overall weight and bulk on your firearm, improving handling and balance.
This scope is built for performance with a high-powered infrared illuminator for seeing in pitch black and multiple color palettes to suit your preference and environment. It offers multiple zeroing profiles for different rifles or ammunition, and the ability to record and stream video. The Wraith Mini is a feature-packed option that brings top-tier digital night vision into a more manageable form factor.
Pulsar Digex C50 Digital Night Vision Riflescope
Pulsar is renowned for its quality optics, and the Digex C50 continues that tradition. This digital night vision scope combines a high-quality HD AMOLED display with a sensitive Sony sensor to produce a bright, high-contrast image with minimal lag. The result is a clear and responsive sight picture that gives you confidence in low-light shooting scenarios.
The Digex C50 is designed for ease of use and reliability. It features a robust, waterproof housing and an intuitive menu system. With a wide magnification range, built-in video recording, and a long-lasting battery, it’s a well-rounded scope ready for serious hunting. Its performance in extremely low light conditions makes it a dependable tool for early morning and late evening hunts.
Sightmark Wraith 4K Digital Night Vision Riflescope
The standard Sightmark Wraith 4K is a powerhouse in the digital night vision market. It boasts a 4K sensor for exceptional image clarity and detail, allowing for precise target identification at range. The high-resolution display ensures that you can see fine details clearly, which is essential for making ethical shots in low-light conditions.
This model includes a powerful, adjustable IR illuminator to light up the darkness and offers a variety of color modes to optimize viewing for different environments. With features like video recording, multiple reticle choices, and a durable construction, the Wraith 4K provides excellent value and performance for hunters needing a reliable day/night optic.
AGM Global Vision Rattler TS25-256 Thermal Riflescope
The AGM Rattler TS25-256 brings accessible thermal technology to the market without compromising on core performance. Its 256×192 thermal sensor provides a clear heat signature image, making it effective for detecting game in complete darkness, through smoke, or in dense brush. The high frame rate ensures a smooth image for tracking.
This thermal scope is built to be a rugged and dependable hunting companion. It features a variety of color palettes, a high-resolution display, and a streamlined design. With a focus on delivering essential thermal imaging performance in a user-friendly package, the AGM Rattler is a solid entry-point into the world of thermal hunting scopes.
PARD NV008P LRF Digital Night Vision Riflescope
The PARD NV008P LRF stands out by integrating a laser rangefinder directly into a digital night vision riflescope. This combination is incredibly useful for hunters, as it allows for instant, precise range finding to your target without needing a separate device. This information is critical for making accurate shots, especially at varying distances in low light.
Beyond the rangefinder, this scope offers a high-sensitivity sensor for excellent low-light performance, a built-in IR illuminator, and HD video recording capabilities. The compact and lightweight design makes it easy to handle, and the inclusion of the LRF makes the NV008P a highly practical and efficient tool for the serious low-light hunter.
What to Look For in the Best Low Light Scopes
When you’re out there in the dim morning or fading evening light, your regular scope just won’t cut it. You need a piece of glass that works with the available light, not against it. I’ve spent a lot of time hunting in these tricky conditions, and I’ve learned that a few key factors separate a good low-light scope from a great one. If you’re looking for the best low light scopes for early and late hunts, you need to focus on these specific features.
First and foremost is the objective lens size. This is the big glass at the front of the scope. A larger objective lens, like a 50mm or 56mm, can gather significantly more light than a smaller 40mm or 44mm lens. More light gathered means a brighter and clearer image for your eye. Just remember, a bigger objective lens often means a higher mounting height, so you might need taller rings to get a proper cheek weld on your stock.
The next critical element is the optical coating. This is where the real magic happens. Look for scopes with fully multi-coated lenses. This means every air-to-glass surface has multiple layers of anti-reflective coating. This coating reduces light loss from internal reflections and glare, directing more of that precious available light to your eye. Cheaper scopes might say “coated” or “fully coated,” but “multi-coated” is what you want for superior performance in low light.
Finally, consider the magnification and the exit pupil. In low light, your eye’s pupil can dilate to about 7mm. The exit pupil is the small circle of light you see in the eyepiece, calculated by dividing the objective lens diameter by the magnification. At a 4x magnification with a 50mm objective, you get a 12.5mm exit pupil—more than enough. But at 10x, that drops to 5mm. For the best low light performance, I prefer to keep my magnification on the lower end, often between 3x and 6x, to ensure a large, bright exit pupil that makes the most of the available light.
FAQ
What makes a scope good for low light hunting?
A scope excels in low light primarily due to its light-gathering ability. This comes from a large objective lens (50mm or larger) and high-quality, fully multi-coated optics. The coatings minimize light loss as it passes through the lenses, while the large front glass captures more ambient light. A illuminated reticle is also a huge help, as it provides a sharp aiming point against a dark background without compromising your view of the target.
Is a 50mm objective lens always better than a 44mm in low light?
Generally, yes, a 50mm objective lens has the potential to gather more light than a 44mm lens. However, it’s not the whole story. The quality of the glass and the multi-coatings are just as important. A premium 44mm scope with exceptional coatings can easily outperform a budget 50mm scope with poor glass. That said, all else being equal, the larger objective will provide a brighter image, especially at higher magnifications.
How important is an illuminated reticle for dawn and dusk hunting?
I consider an illuminated reticle to be extremely important. In the last minutes of legal shooting light, a black reticle can easily get lost against a dark animal in a shadowy background. A faint red or green dot at the center allows you to place your shot accurately without having to guess where the crosshairs are. It’s a feature I now insist on for any rifle I plan to use during early and late hunts.
What is a good magnification range for a low light scope?
For most hunting situations in low light, a lower magnification range is ideal. I find that a variable power scope with a base of 3x, 4x, or 5x on the low end is perfect. This gives you a wide field of view for acquiring targets and a large exit pupil for maximum brightness. You can always zoom in if you need to, but you’ll get the best performance from the best low light scopes for early and late hunts when you keep the power setting modest.
Are there any downsides to large objective lenses?
There are a couple of trade-offs. Scopes with large objective lenses are typically heavier and bulkier. They also need to be mounted higher on the rifle to clear the barrel, which can make it difficult to get a consistent and comfortable cheek weld. You may need to add a cheek riser to your stock to compensate. It’s a balance between optical performance and the ergonomics of handling your rifle.